


It's My Time to Look After You

by KaireanAlbarea



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangles, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 22:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11217309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaireanAlbarea/pseuds/KaireanAlbarea
Summary: She was looking more horrible by the second. The fox followed her and found out the reason for her misery. But the fox wasn't the only one who was watching over her.





	It's My Time to Look After You

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kagerou Project/Mekakucity Actors
> 
> The original submission at FFN was a 3-chapter story but I just realized that it's short so I merged it into one.

I have been staring at her for almost an hour.

I got worried when she told us that she was going out for a bit. I saw a few tears escaping from her eyes as she fled from our sight. I tried my best to avoid being noticed by her as I discreetly followed her. She stood in front of a vacant lot with a few burned debris scattered around. I just stood behind a lamp post and tried to be as quiet as possible. It was a miracle that she still hasn't realized that I've been watching her from afar. I didn't want to come near her; I was afraid that I might see her tears. That was the last thing I wanted to see. It pained me so much to see her hurt and my heart ached at the scene before me.

My adopted sister, Kido Tsubomi, fell on her knees and started to cry. She covered her wet face with her trembling hands and sobbed loudly. I couldn't see exactly how she looked like since I was behind her. I have been doing this ever since she came back home very late one night.

It was I who would take nightly strolls and come home late, only to be greeted by her sleeping figure. It was about time that we switched places. She's now the deep-in-thought person while I was the worried friend. This routine of ours was going on for almost a week now and I'm still afraid of approaching her. I knew she was suffering inside and probably needed a friend but she would always come to me when she has a problem. The fact that she hasn't said anything to me was somewhat like a 'wake up' call that I have neglected her well-being since she would always try to look after me more than herself.

Did she have a nightmare about her past? Even I don't know what might have caused her pain. I'm trying to calm myself down since I can't do anything but clench my fist as I watched her crying her heart out. I wanted her to come to me because I don't want to force her if she doesn't want to. Besides, it was always like that. Whether it's the roaring thunder or her haunting nightmare, she would always go to me and hug me just to ease whatever negative emotion she was feeling.

I stepped forward once, but stopped before I could make a second step. I really have no idea what I should do. I loved her so much that even if I'm also in pain, I would always be there flashing a smile to cheer her up. I never felt so helpless. I can't believe that I'm unable to help her. She was our leader, she supported us and we'd support her back. Even with that kind of thinking, there were things that she would rather not talk about. It's actually making everyone worried. I told them that I will handle her and they just gave me their blessing.

She finally stood up after what seemed like an eternity. She wiped her tears with her parka sleeve and started to walk away from the lot. My eyes followed her retreating figure and then I sighed. I wanted to ask her out and talk about stuff but I wasn't brave enough. I thought I was the only one who wanted to cheer her up. I was wrong.

I saw a familiar person standing behind a different lamp post. He seemed to have been following her as well. I wanted to question him about the reason why followed her when I was there to watch over her. I decided not to go on with it after an argument with my mind.

I felt jealous but he knew not to love the same girl I do. He was my brother, after all.

...

...

...

"Seto."

A familiar yet cold voice sounded through the silent room where Seto Kousuke was sitting down, reading a book. The other members of the dan were still asleep and it was only Seto and the person behind him.

"Yes, Kano?" He turned his head to look at the figure standing behind him. He closed the book as he smiled at his friend. "Is there something the matter? You seem… annoyed."

Seto found Kano's current expression to be worrying. Was he in a bad mood? He would always use his deceiving ability to hide what he really felt but today, his dark aura was emanating around Seto. Kano looked at him with a glare, following his form as he stood up from the couch and put down the hardbound book on the coffee table. The blond boy gestured to follow, walking towards the front door. The golden eyed boy followed him and soon, they both reached an alley and started to converse.

"What is your problem? Do you have issues with me, Kano?"

"Kousuke."

Oh. So they're addressing each other like when they were kids now.

"Shuuya?" The green clad boy smiled sweetly, but Kano felt like he was snickering. The shorter boy bowed his head down and clenched his fist. "I was supposed to look after her. Why are you doing the same thing as I? Let me handle her."

Kano stated calmly; he wasn't angry but he wanted to emphasize on the fact that it was his job and not Seto's.

"I can do whatever I want to do. Like you, I care for her... but… unlike you, I don't fool her. I won't flash a smile when I'm hurting. I will cry if I feel like crying and I will get angry if I'm angry. I will be true to her."

His words made Kano step backwards once and his expression indicated that he was taken aback. He fixed his stance and tried to retaliate but he can't dismiss the fact that he was right. Seto was a very kindhearted person. He would always show a genuine smile, something the fox-eyed boy wouldn't do. Kano Shuuya would always hide his feelings and he won't let anything take a peek in his wrenched heart.

"If you think that I'm letting you handle her on your own just because I have my hands full with Marry, then you're wrong. I love Marry but my feelings towards Kido are far deeper." His smile turned into a frown and he grabbed Kano by the collar. "If I leave her with someone like you, she might break… and get tired of all your lies."

He put Kano down gently and the blond boy just stood there. He never thought Seto would do that. Sure, he changed, but he did not expect that he was this different. The once crybaby Kousuke was now an overprotective Seto. Things sure have changed. "So… you don't… trust me with her…?"

Kano's head was down, saying something after a while of being silent. He looked at his brother in the eyes and was waiting for an answer.

"I trust you... as she trusts you."

Seto's answer was short and simple but full of truthfulness. It was different from how Kano would say things, which made him look more of a liar than before. He realized that comparing himself with Seto, of course they would believe him more.

"Then…"

"I love her. I love Kido Tsubomi."

Kano's eyes widened at Seto's sudden confession. His eyebrows met and punched him on the face. "Wha-what! Shut up! We… we promised! We promised that we'd…!" Seto wiped the blood coming from his mouth as he stood up from falling on his butt caused by the force of the punch.

"Promised? Yes we did. Can you blame me for liking her though?" Kano was intimidated by Seto's way of talking. He didn't seem to be bothered by everything and handled the situation calmly. Kano punched him again, but wasn't as hard as the first one. "But I… I love her too!"

Seto didn't fall this time; he was just forced to step back a bit. He chuckled softly, a laugh that contains both good and ill will. He doesn't know if the boy in the jumpsuit turned over a new leaf or if he was just showing a side of him that he seldom shows to others.

"You… who are you..?" Kano unconsciously asked his best friend and he immediately replied. "I'm still Seto. Truth be told, I'm sick of your lies. You show this smile of yours to ensure us that you're fine, and yet, that same smile makes us more worried. Look, even Kido won't tell you what's wrong…"

At the mention of her name, he flinched. "Did she… tell you something…?

"No. Though I'm guessing that she would tell me more than she would tell you… She told me once that she doesn't want to bother you with her problems anymore because you were hurting. Imagine, even after all those lies and jokes you pull up, she still cares for you? Maybe she loves you… we don't know… but she didn't tell anyone about anything…" He ended his sentence, to which Kano knew that he still wanted to add more. He didn't urge him to continue as he wanted to say something to Seto. He was unable to talk since the taller boy interrupted him before he could utter the first word.

"Sometimes, I don't get what she's thinking."

Now, both their faces were calm. A few minutes of silence had passed before Seto looked at his wrist watch. "Looks like it's time for breakfast. I'll go on ahead." He put his hand down and turned his back before leaving Kano who was leaning on the cold concrete wall, still feeling uneasy about their heated conversation.

He soon left the place and went back to the base. He made sure that his façade was activated before entering the through the front door. As he opened it, he was greeted by the green haired leader.

"Morning, leader~" He smiled at her but her expression didn't look a bit amused. "Where in the world have you been? Were you together with Seto? He came in a few minutes before you." She questioned him with one arm arched, her hand touching her waists. "Never mind... Just wash your hands and sit down. Breakfast is ready." She didn't wait for his reply; instead, she sighed and walked towards the dining area. He was frozen at his spot, unable to move. After regaining his composure and almost losing his disguise, he was able to go at the dining area and eat his breakfast.

"You're cooking is exquisite as always, Kido-chan~"

"Ew. Shut up, idiot."

Kano Shuuya, then tried to pretend that there was nothing wrong between him and Seto Kousuke as both boys watched over their little sister for a while.

...

...

...

A little while after breakfast, the dan seemed to have left and went somewhere. Kano and Seto trailed Kido, who was standing in front of the same spot she went for the past days. Both boys were aware that the other was also watching but they had their own agenda. They followed her separately and just observed her.

"When we were kids, you would always go to me and cry on my shoulders. After a while, we grew up and you'd always wait for me and worry about my health. It wasn't just me, though. You would take care of everyone like how Mom took care of us. I'm quite jealous that your attention extends to everyone. It's not just Seto and me… It includes Marry, Momo, Ene, Shintaro, Hibiya and Konoha too… You don't get scared during thunderstorms anymore and come to me when you have a nightmare."

Kano poured his feelings through a whisper, not letting anyone hear it. His sad eyes looked at Kido whose back was facing him. He didn't care about what Seto was doing; he was thinking about how he could make her come to him and tell him what was wrong. He wanted to be her main support.

"You… stopped clinging to me… That was what I hated after we grew up…"

He clenched his fist so hard that it was turning white. His nails were biting through his palm and a droplet of blood was coming out from his hand. He didn't mind the pain because he was used to it and it didn't really bother him. He looked back to Kido but turned his head sideways vigorously when he didn't see her. He looked to his right and was surprised that Seto was no longer there. He left his spot and ran in haste as he tried to search for her.

"Where could she be…?" He thought to himself and ran non-stop. He found Seto catching his breath, turning his head left and right. "Seto!" The deceiver called out to him and soon both boys were inches from each other as they were trying to recover the energy they lost.

"Where… is she..?" Kano was still catching his breath as he asked Seto. The number 2 member shook his head before saying something. "I didn't notice that she left. I was actually looking at you since you looked like you were bothered and when I turned my eyes to her, she wasn't there."

"We have to find her." Seto just nodded and ran to the east while Kano ran to the west. He thought of going to Ayano's grave but he was having second thoughts. He'd always go to her grave, the only place where he'd truly cry. He loved Ayano and it made him think about his feelings towards Kido. He wasn't sure how to react to his thoughts since he loved both girls. He ran faster and gradually decreased in speed when he saw her kneeling in front of his older sister's grave. He stopped running and went a little ways from her to prevent her from seeing him.

"I should have disappeared instead of you, Onee-chan…"

Hearing this from their leader, Kano's heart broke. He saw tears coming out from her eyes and from his own. Why would Kido think about something like that? He clenched his hand near his heart and made a pained expression.

"I'm… I should have died… I'm already dead anyway…. My burning house with the bloodcurdling screams of my real older sister keeps on haunting me every night… and then… I see you jumping from the school rooftop… I don't know why… but I'm scared and I blame myself… I just… I don't deserve to live… You deserve this life better than I… Why was I given a second chance to live? Why was I given this stupid eye power? Losing a lot of people is really painful… Why did it have to be you? Why?"

Kido cried harder and covered her moist face with both hands. Kano was just watching her painfully. He wanted to reach out to her but he didn't have the courage to do so. He then saw her taking a gun from her pocket but she just limply rested the hand with the gun on the ground. Kano wanted to shout but no words were able to escape. He wanted to run to her but his legs wouldn't move.

"If I died and took you out of the haze, will Shuuya be happier?"

Kano widened his eyes and was shocked that Kido would consider doing something like that. He doesn't even know how she would know that Ayano's inside the haze. He was able to run to her and shout her name but she stood up, turned to him and pulled the trigger.

"TSUBOMI!"

"Shuuya… good bye…."

He almost lost his balance as Kido was swallowed by a snake skin-like void. He tried his hardest to reach out to her but ultimately failed. "No… no…. nononononononononononononono….!"

Seto was still searching for her when he heard a shout and a gunshot coming from the cemetery. He was a two blocks away from it and dashed towards the cemetery. The moment he arrived, he searched for where the sound might have come from and saw Kano on the ground with his head looking upwards, tears on his eyes.

"Kano! Wha—what happened?" He asked Kano as he caught his breath. The fox didn't answer him and remained silent. The frog shook his friend, trying to bring him back to reality. After concluding that he's having a breakdown, he carried him by having Kano's arm around his shoulders and walked home.

"We're… home…" Seto opened the door with his free hand. His voice was weak and tired but he soon woke up from his exhausted state when he saw a familiar person in front of him. "Wha…?"

"Seto! You're home!" Marry approached him and pulled him towards the couch. Momo and Hibiya tended to Kano by wiping his face with a clean towel before sitting down. The Medusa sat down beside Seto who was still bewildered.

"We're surprised as you…" It was Shintaro's voice. "Ayano… it's really her…" He was already tearing up but he tried to bottle it in. Momo, Hibiya, and Konoha don't know Ayano so they didn't sound so happy or sad about her sudden appearance. Of course, Konoha wouldn't know due to his amnesia but Hibiya stated that she seemed familiar and decided to shrug it off.

"Kousuke… Shuuya." Ayano finally spoke, who was currently inside her 16 year old body.

"Onee-chan…" Seto called out to her and hugged her. Kano was still staring into nothingness even after hearing his big sister's angelic voice. Seto jolted up and immediately shook Kano.

"Kano! I mean, Shuuya! Look, Onee-chan's here! Snap out of it!"

Kano didn't flinch one bit but he did stand up after Seto tried to wake him up. He groggily walked towards the stairs and climbed it, going to his room.

"Kousuke… I'm sorry." Ayano bowed her head down and tears were starting to form in her eyes. The members were all confused on why she apologized until Konoha pointed out something.

"Seto… Where's… Kido?"

At that, the gang looked at Seto intently, waiting for an answer. It wasn't him who replied, but the girl with the red scarf. "Kido… Tsubomi-chan… is gone."

Silence filled the air and no one was able to react. They didn't ask anything but they all started to tear up. Ayano's voice and tone indicated that she was gone. She was dead. No one had the appetite to eat dinner that time and went their separate ways. Shintaro, Ene and Momo went to their house; Konoha, Hibiya and Ayano went to the Tateyama Residence while Marry, Seto, and Kano stayed at the apartment.

Seto and Marry cried to each other as they have lost someone really important to them. Marry was crying hard on his chest as he rested his head on her shoulder. They were both hugging each other tight, sitting up on Seto's bed. They couldn't stop crying and soon they would fall asleep after crying more than a liter of tears. Everyone pretty much did the same. The only one who didn't cry as much were Shintaro and Konoha who had their emotions in control. They were sad but tears weren't shed.

Kano Shuuya lied down on his bed, clutching a scarf and smelling the lingering scent that has been stored for years. He had kept this particular scarf and wrapped it in paper then put it in a special box until he took it out as a memento to remember her by. His expression did not change one bit from the time Kido disappeared up until now.

"Why… I… Why didn't you tell me…? I certainly did not become happier… Tsubomi…"

He fell asleep as he put the scarf near him and pretended that it was her. That scarf was something she owned and she had lost it, but didn't know that Kano looked everywhere for it, only to be replaced by a new one given to her by Ayaka Tateyama. Before giving in to his exhaustion, words escaped from his mouth.

"It… It was my time to look after you…"


End file.
